Never Let Go
by Hockey35
Summary: With Aang gone after refusing to kill the Fire Lord, Zuko takes it upon himself to stop his father. However, Katara isn't willing to let the man she loves go into the Fire Nation on his own. Will the two make it back from their mission alive? Zutara.


_**Wrote this fic for a friend on Tumblr just on a whim. Never have written A:TLA before, so please forgive me if it's terribly out of character. It's kind of self explanatory as you go along. Set right before the series finale. Zuko x Katara pairing. Enjoy. Please leave comments/reviews :) I own nothing.  
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"You're not going without me, Zuko!" Katara's voice was angry but hushed as the two argued on the edge of the beach. He had this crazy idea that it was on him to take out his father now that Aang had gone missing, but Katara wouldn't let him go off alone. She had already lost her mother; she wouldn't lose someone else she loved. Zuko had to understand where she was coming from, but he, too, couldn't bear to lose yet another woman he loved. Especially not at the hands of his father. "Katara, you need to stay here with your brother and wait for Aang. You and I both know he'll be back here and the Avatar needs you. You're the only one who will be able to convince him to kill the Fire Lord if I fail." His dark eyes looked at hers with sorrow before meeting her lips with a soft kiss.

This is what they had been reduced to; stealing kisses under the moon, hiding in shadow to be free from detection from Aang or worse; Sokka. The two had decided the Water Tribe warrior would likely end up injuring himself in the process, but his determination in keeping his sister safe would prove dismal for the two of them. Especially since they had been pining for each other since Zuko had set the pirates after them over that damned water bending scroll. "Zuko, you are not going without me. That's final." Katara's eyes were hard as she fixed her gaze on him, taking his hand in hers and pulling him into the war balloon that had been affixed with the Fire Nation symbol. The banished prince merely sighed before following her and fire bending the balloon up into the air.

They didn't have far to travel before making it into the Fire Nation. The war balloon got them even further and into the heart of the palace itself. The Fire Lord would be in his chambers, preparing mentally for his coronation was Phoenix King set to happen the next morning. This was Zuko's one and only chance to take down his father. This was his chance for redemption. "You don't have to do this, Zuko. You've already redeemed and proven yourself. No one is expecting you to kill your own father." Katara let her hand trace over the scar on the side of his face as the other rested on his chest. There had been a time where she had wanted nothing more than to end the sniveling prince along with their troubles. But now… well, now she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Zuko gave Katara the warm smile he always used to melt her heart and end her fretting before pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply. The tips of his fingers traced up and down her spine soothingly before he pressed his lips to her forehead, letting his eyes close as he just enjoyed her presence. Despite his apprehension of her coming along on this deadly mission, he couldn't help but feel relieved and _completed_ by the fact that she was at his side. "I know that. But this isn't about my pride or redemption. If the Avatar can't do this, then I'm the only one who can. My father has taken so many people from me…" Zuko pulled her tighter to him as she kissed his chest lovingly, clinging to him desperately. "My mother, Uncle Iroh, he even took your mother. He needs to be stopped."

Again, their eyes met as Katara couldn't help but look at him with pride and admiration. Her hands shot up to the sides of his face before pulling him down to her lips, crashing them together as she lost herself in the moment. Zuko lifted her up to him, cancelling out the height difference as they deepened the kiss. Everything fell away from them; the apprehension, the despair, the worry about death. In this moment they were together. In this moment, they were free to be _them._ "I love you, Zuko. And if you're going to do this, well, then I'm going to be there with you." He smiled at her, his fingers wrapping through her hair. "And after my father is gone and I take back the Fire Nation, I don't think Sokka will be able to keep you from me." Katara's hand moved down the side of his face as they remained in their close embrace for several minutes, leaning their foreheads together in appreciative silence.

It was a matter of minutes before they were forced apart and landed the war balloon at an unattended dock. They moved silently into the castle with Katara following Zuko's every movement. Everything had to be perfectly precise if they were to make it through the palace without being detected. He had defied his father; it wasn't like he was welcome here. And Katara sure as hell wouldn't be wanted inside the palace. "We're here." He froze in front of the ornate door, taking several deep breaths in preparation. This was it. The final moment. Katara's hand slip into his reassuringly before falling away to let him shove the doors open and enter slowly, the two of them walking in confidently.

There sat Ozai on his throne, completely confident and smug. The appearance of his son barely seemed to faze him as he barely shifted in his seat, sneering at the water tribe girl who dared to stand before him. "Zuko, how good of you to come. I see you picked up some trash on your way." Electricity sparked from the Fire Lord's finger tips as he rose from his throne, crossing down to stand across from his son. "Come here for round two of our Agni Kai?" The fire danced in Zuko's eyes as flames flickered in his palms. "I'm here to end the rule of a tyrant." There was dark laughter from the Fire Lord who merely shook his head. "Go ahead, Zuko. I'll give you a matching scar for your whore to enjoy."

There were no more words; just heat and an explosive force as lightning and fire met in the center of the room. Katara rolled away, careful not to jump into the fight just yet. This was Zuko's mission, his effort. She was there to keep the guards at bay, which was done with a simple water whip as the first three responders tried to intervene but quickly failed. She could feel the heat and pressure building up between Zuko and his father as they continued to exchange blows, trying to cut down the other one as quickly as possible. Anger was etched into the younger man's face as fury arced through every movement. Amusement and arrogance were clear in the eyes of Ozai as he moved with practiced grace and deadliness.

Time was hardly a factor as they continued to exchange blows. Zuko got in a lucky hit, scorching his father's left hand and working him into a corner. "You're outmatched father. I can redirect your lightning; you know that. Give up. _Now._" The fire continued to burn in his palms as his father merely laughed at his son's demands. "You think it's so simple, little boy? I haven't lost. You brought along my get out of jail free card." Dangerous eyes flickered over to Katara before lightning crackled in her direction. There wasn't enough time for Zuko to redirect the lightning and her back was still turned to them. "NO!"

Impulse and adrenaline guided Zuko's actions has he leapt in front of the lightning, taking the brunt of the force straight into his chest as he went flying into the stone wall behind him. The sickening snap of his spine and crack of his skull echoed through the chamber as he sank to the floor unmoving.

Everything stopped as Katara knocked out the last guard, her eyes watching with horror as Zuko was thrown across the room. She could hear her heart thumping in her ears and the sound of Ozai's maddening laughter fill the scorched room. Rage, anger, fury, fear, despair, doubt, and disbelief filled Katara as her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched at her sides. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" The anger overrode her sense as she moved towards Ozai, blood bending him to his knees. She watched as the smirk fell from his face as she forced his hands to turn on himself. "That was your _son._ My… Zuko…" A single tear fell from her eye as the rage consumed her and she closed his own hands around his throat, forcing him to slowly and painfully suffocate himself.

Sweat beaded at every pore as Katara focused every ounce of her energy on him, making him kill himself. One could only imagine how frightening it had to be to have your life ripped away from you by your own hands, unable to stop yourself. It was better than the bastard had deserved.

The lifeless corpse thudded to the ground as Katara rushed over to Zuko who still hadn't even made a sound. Shaking finger tips brushed over his throat, desperately searching for a pulse, for anything that would indicate he was still alive. That he hadn't left her, too. "Zuko… I can fix this. I just… I just need you to hold on. I can…" Her voice cracked as her fingers continued to search, desperate to find that heart beat, desperate to hear his voice, to see his eyes, to feel his breath on her neck. Desperate to hear him say he loved her one last time. Desperate for _him. _

Warm tears streamed down her cheeks, splashing against his unblinking face. His body was still warm which only tugged at her heart as it filled her with false hope. She could feel the shattered bones in his back and his hair was damp with blood from where his skull had split. It wasn't _fair!_ How many people had the fire nation taken from her? How many promises were made broken because of this damned war? "Zuko… I'm so sorry… I… I love you…"

The small girl from the water tribe, the girl who had been brave enough to venture out with the Avatar, to take on the fire nation, to defy her family, sat there broken and alone as she clutched Zuko's corpse to her chest, crying for those she had lost. They had won, but at what cost? _Everything was lost._


End file.
